Shuttle



Dec. 10, 1935., E, FULLER 250235678 SHUTTLE Filed Dec. 12, 1931 Fig 1 ?atented Dec. 1% 1935 entree stares crib SHUTTLE Emil E. Fuller, Woonsocket, R. 1L, assignor to Shambow Shuttle (Company, Woonsocket, R. l, a corporation of Rhode Island The present invention relates to shuttles and thread blocks therefor.

A common form of shuttle, used particularly for silk weaving, employs an arm having a plurality of thread eyes, in combination with a series of pins, the thread being bent in passing alternately through the eyes and over the pins. This type of tension device operates well but is open to the objection that it requires hand threading, which renders it unsuitable for coarser work.

The object of the present invention is to provide a tension device which operates by bending the thread in the path of feed and which may be employed in weft replenishing shuttles, and to this end, the invention comprises the shuttie and thread block hereinafter described and particularly defined in the claims.

In the accompanying drawing, Fig. 1 is a plan view of the preferred form of shuttle; Fig. 2 is an elevation of the front side thereof; Figs. 3 and l are bottom plan and rear side views of the thread block; Fig. 5 is a section on line 5-4; of F i; Fig. 6 is a top plan view of the tension device; Fig. 7 is a section on line 7-4 of Fig. 6; Fig. 3 is a plan view of a modified form of tension device; Fig. 9 is a section on line 9-9 of Fig. 8; Fig. 10 is an elevation of a modified form of tension device; and Fig. 11 is an end sectional elevation, on an enlarged scale, of the device shown in The illustrated embodiment of the invention comprises a shuttle i2, having a table it, an eye i l, and a thread block recess in which is received a thread block indicated generally at it. The thread block has a longitudinal thread passage it and is provided at the front end with a beak 2t.

Beside the thread passage is a tension-device which is shown in detail in Figs. 6 and 7, and which is received in a recess under the table it of the block. The tension device comprises a series of thread engaging plates, illustrated as three plates 22, and 26, separated by two spacer plates 28 and all of the plates being secured together by pins 32 at the bottom of the device and by a pin which serves as a pivot for the tension lever Each of the spacer plates is disposed at the lower left corner of the tension device to provide open vertical spaces 33 and 48 between the thread engaging plates and also to leave a rear space 2 to receive the tension mechanism. The bottom edge of each thread engaging plate is recessed to form horizontal thread feeding surfaces id, and thread retaining shoulders 45 in front of the shuttle eye.

As indicated in Figs. 6 and 7, the end faces of the thread engaging plates are inclined downwardly away from the beak to lead the thread into the eye. These plates are of the same general form except for variations in length. Thus, 5 the innermost plate 22 is longest and has a. front face of least inclination, while the outermost plate 26 is shortest and has the steepest face. Accordingly, the face of the tension member, as a whole, is inclined both longitudinally and 10 transversely to guide the thread into the recesses These recesses fi l, as well as the shoulders it, are all in alignment.

Preferably, the bottom edges of the plates are rounded, as indicated in Figs. 3 and 5, to facili- 15 tate smooth passage of the thread without wear.

The tension lever 36 comprises a single piece of wire formed with parallel arms 38 lying in the spaces and The arms are connected t the front end and form a loop which lies beside and below the beak. The rear ends of the wire are bent around the pivot is and one end is extended upwardly to form a loop 52. Tension is placed on the lever by an elastic piece one end of which is connected to the loop and the other end is passed through a. hole in a screw 56 and knotted thereto. The screw is threaded into the base of the tension device and the head of the screw is received in an opening in the table 53. By turning the screw, an operation which may be carried out without removal of the block from the shuttle, the tension may be regulated.

A modified tension applying mechanism is shown in Figs. 8 and 9. The tension is applied by a coiled spring 53 surrounding a rod (iii which is held at one end in a post 62 by a set screw The tension lever is constructed as in the first modification, the looped rear end being elongated to permit the necessary pivotal movement. The rod through the loop, and the spring takes between a stop at the free end of the rod and a Washer which abuts the loop. The tension may be adjusted loosening the set screw and sliding the "od through the opening in the post.

A modified, and in some respects preferable, form of tension device is shown in Fig. 10. In this construction, the thread feeding and guiding surfaces are formed by wires it? which are bent to form bottom thread feeding surfaces ill and inclined guiding surfaces is corresponding to the bottom and front surfaces of the plates of the first modification. The wires are also bent to form front thread retaining shoulders 89. Each wire is bent at the rear end, as indicated at 82, to be received in a small positioning hole in the bottom plate of a U-shaped sheet metal frame 84. The wires are clamped in place by a block 83 secured to the plate by a screw 88, the block having longitudinal positioning grooves in which the wires are received. In the sides sf; of the frame is pivoted a small block 92, carrying the tension lever 95 which is of the same looped form as the lever 36. The rear ends of the loop are attached to the pivoted block by a screw 95. A tension'applying mechanism, illustrated as an adjustable elastic piece, is connected between the pivoted .block and an adjusting screw 9 This construction may be preferred because of its cheapness and its light weight.

In operation, on the first pick of the shuttle after replenishment, which is represented by a movement of the shuttle from right to left, the thread is received in the thread passage and is caught by the beak in the usual manner. On the next pick, the thread is first drawn under the beak and over the tension lever, as indie atl2 in Fi 2. As the Shuttlfi roceeds from left toright, the thread passes down the sloping face M of the shuttle into the eye, being drawn over the inclined front guide faces of the thread engaging plates and at the same time, depressing the tension lever. The thread finally feeds under j the lower feeding surfaces i l of the plates, en-

gaging with alliof them simultaneously, and over the armsof the tension lever, as shown in dotand-dash lines in Figs. 1 and 5. a

, It will be seen that the present invention provides for placing a delicate, yet positive and uniform tension on the thread, regardless of any variations in feed from the bobbin. The device operatesby bending or deflecting the thread in the path of travel, as distinguished from friction devices, and is therefore very durable. The device also acts automatically to take up any slack in the thread, which usually occurs as the motion of the shuttle is resisted in being engaged by the shuttle box at the end of each flight. The device may be used with a shuttle of any type, but is narticularly useful with automatic or weft replenishing shuttles because it in no way interferes with the replenishing operation.

Having thus described the invention, what is claimed is:

1'. A shuttle having an eye, a block, a plurality of wires extending from the block and having spaced horizontal bottom feeding surfaces and inclined front guiding surfaces at different inclinations, the surface nearest the eye having the greatest inclination, and a loop tension lever having arms movable between the wires.

2. A shuttle having an eye, a block, a plurality of wires extending from the block, each wire bebent to form a horizontal bottom'feeding surface, a retaining shoulder and an inclined guiding surface, the guiding surfaces being at different i ielinations, the surface nearest the eye having the greatest inclination, and a tension lever having armsmovable between the wires.

3. A tension device for shuttles comprising a U-shaped sheet metal frame, a plurality of guide wires extending forwardly from the frame and having their front ends inclined upwardly, a ciar ng block attached within the frame and having grooves within which the wires are clamped and positioned, a pivoted block in the frarne, and a wire tension lever carried by the block and having arms extending between the guide wires.

EMIL E. FULLER. 

